The principles of the present invention provide compositions and methods for making fruit-like textured chunks, with an interior fiber-like texture, that is juicy and mimics real fruit bits. The method may include combining fruit puree/juice with protein and optionally treated with a gas to simulate the elastic and smooth organoleptic properties of fruit chunks.

The present invention provides a process for producing a texture modified food product, the process comprising the steps of: providing a food product; adding a fructan and a texturizing agent to the food product in order to obtain an admix food product; and crushing the admix food product to obtain a texture modified food product thereby initiating the formation of a fructan gel. The temperature of the food product during the process is maintained below about 50 C. The texturizing agent is a heat-set texturizing agent. The present invention also provides a texture modified food product obtained by the above mentioned process. The present invention also provides a texturizing composition.

A bin for containing an apple mash within a cider press, the bin including a multiple of staves interconnected and held together by a cable threaded through each stave. Preferably, an upper cable and a lower cable hold the staves together, with each cable received into a first terminal stave and threaded through a multiple of staves in sequence, to a second terminal stave. The cabled bin resists bending, to maintain tension and to form a full circle when bent, while rebounding flat when released. To secure the bin in the curved, cylindrical or tubular form, the bin includes a bin latch to lock the first terminal stave to the second terminal stave. When the bin is not in use in the cider press, it can be stored and easily cleaned by lying-out flat, requiring much less storage space compared to traditional bins in fruit presses.

The present invention relates to a shelf-stable cooking-aid for coating and flying a food product in one step for example in a heating pan, the cooking aid comprising 3-28 wt % oil, 20-60 wt % water, 2.3-5.5 wt % modified starch, 3-15 wt % salt, 0.5-30 wt % sugar and 0.5-30 wt % flavorings and wherein the cooking aid has a viscosity in the range of 8 to 60 Pa.Math.s at a shear rate of 1 s.sup.?1 at 25? C., and the oil and water are in form of an emulsion. Further aspects of the invention are the method for making said cooking-aid as well as a method for coating and flying a food product in a heated pan or heated surface.

The present invention relates to a shelf-stable cooking-aid for coating and flying a food product in one step for example in a heating pan, the cooking aid comprising 3-28 wt % oil, 20-60 wt % water, 2.3-5.5 wt % modified starch, 3-15 wt % salt, 0.5-30 wt % sugar and 0.5-30 wt % flavorings and wherein the cooking aid has a viscosity in the range of 8 to 60 Pa.Math.s at a shear rate of 1 s.sup.?1 at 25? C., and the oil and water are in form of an emulsion. Further aspects of the invention are the method for making said cooking-aid as well as a method for coating and flying a food product in a heated pan or heated surface.

A natural preservative composition for providing effective preservative effects to a food product, such as a fruit and/or vegetable juice product. The natural preservative composition includes a first component formed as a blend of fermented flax seed and/or fermented oregano, a second component formed as a blend of maltodextrin and/or fermented dextrose, and a third component formed as a blend of essential oils of culinary herbs.

There is provided a process for making a composition suitable for topical application comprising the steps of a) heating at least one fruit and/or vegetable pulp to up to a temperature in the range of about 40 C. to 100 C.; b) mixing between 1 and 40% w/w of a mild base with the heated fruit and/or vegetable pulp. There is also provided a fruit and/or vegetable derived composition suitable for topical application prepared by the above process. There is further provided a fruit and/or vegetable derived composition comprising at least one fruit and/or vegetable-derived pulp and a mild base, said composition having a pH in the range of about 7.5 to about 9.5.

In accordance with the teachings of the disclosure, a process is disclosed for pitting drupes. In some embodiments of a pitting process, the pitting machine uses a pitting knife that has a longitudinal passageway that extends axially through the pitting knife. The pitting machine has a steam source that provides pressurized steam to the passageway of the pitting knife. Prior to pitting the drupe, the pressurized steam flows through the passageway and onto a portion of a drupe positioned within a carrier in the pitting machine. The heat and pressure of the steam between the drupe and the cutting end of the pitting knife can soften a localized portion of the drupe so that the pitting knife can cut through the flesh of the drupe and eject the pit out of the opposite side of the drupe.

Systems and methods for forming vegetable product food holders. The method may include placing a first layer of vegetable product into a mold and forming the first layer of vegetable product to the mold. The method may also include various other steps. For example, the method may include placing a second layer of vegetable product into the mold and forming the second layer of vegetable product to the mold. For example, the method may include perforating the first layer of vegetable product while under within the mold, and/or chilling the first layer of vegetable product while inside the mold. The method may include increasing the flexibility of the vegetable product prior to insertion into the mold by perforating the vegetable product using an array of prongs.

This disclosure concerns nucleic acid molecules and methods of use thereof for control of insect pests through RNA interference-mediated inhibition of target coding and transcribed non-coding sequences in insect pests, including pollen beetle. The disclosure also concerns methods for making transgenic plants that express nucleic acid molecules useful for the control of insect pests, and the plant cells and plants obtained thereby.